Precious Moments
by FireStorm1991
Summary: Precious moments with a loved one are to be cherished. Set during the Buu Saga and after.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or the characters**

**Hey, everyone! I'm here with a new story, actually a request CoreyPeters on DeviantArt, my first official Goten X Bulla story. Only changes with them is the age difference. It will be a three year age difference, meaning Goten is three and Trunks is four when Bulla is born. That changes the timeline and ignores some events pretty much making this an AU. Also a special thank you to SarahWDBZ for helping me to brainstorm and flesh out some ideas regarding Vegeta. **

**Be sure to follow me here, on Tumblr, and on DeviantArt.**

**I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

_Precious moments with a loved one are to be cherished._

* * *

It was an exciting day at the Breifs's household as a child was entering the world. In a quiet room in the medical wing of Capsule Corp., little Bulla Briefs was born. She came into the world just as peacefully as the atmosphere around her. The child looked just like her mother, a fact that left her father completely floored and taken with her. When the child was shoved into the Saiyan's arms by his wife, he knew in that moment that he would do anything for the babe.

Bulma's friends were all there with their families, called over by Panchy at the time her daughter went into labor. They had not been allowed in right away, the doctor only wanting Vegeta there to be beside his wife. Too many people would have created mass chaos, especially considering the members among the group.

"Wow, she looks just like you!" Goku exclaimed when he saw his honorary niece for the first time. His overeager shouts caused the baby's brow to furrow and tears started to form.

As her little cries filtered the room, it set her father off immensely. "Damn it, Kakarot! Look what you did?"

"Now, now, boys," Bulma laughed, taking her daughter from her husband's arms before Little Bulla got caught in the fray. She rocked the baby and cooed softly. "There, there, Bulla. Don't cry."

The soft, dulcet tone of the woman's voice soothed the baby, and she quickly silenced herself, her deep blue eyes shifting to her father and the loud man. Bulla saw her father at the ready to attack, fist in the spiky-haired man's face, and Goku held his hands up in defense. The baby let out happy sounds, almost a laugh as if she was amused by the whole thing. These charming little noises dispelled the tension, Bulma and Chi Chi chuckling with mirth at their husbands' stupor.

Chi Chi looked to the new mother and asked, "Would you like me to get the boys? I'm sure they're getting antsy."

Bulma nodded and said, "Bring Krillin, Eighteen, and Marron too. I'm sure they're all eager…and ready to be pulled off of babysitting duty."

The raven-haired woman nodded, heading out of the room, and moments later she returned with everyone else. "Is this my new sister?" Trunks asked, eagerly running up to his mother, surprised to see just how similar she looked to his mom with her blue hair and blue eyes.

His best friend joined his side, Goten looking down at the child with a baffled expression before he grinned so widely. "She's cute!" the three-year-old chimed.

A round of laughs could be heard around the room. "Yeah, she's a looker, just like her mom," Krillin chimed in. "I bet you're going to be chasing off the boys when she grows up, huh Vegeta?"

Vegeta grimaced at the thought, but otherwise said nothing as he crossed his arms. Considering the Earthling had his own daughter to worry about, he knew that his joke was actually a valid concern they now both shared.

Bulla eyed the two boys looking at her and smiled at her older brother, but the moment she saw Goten she saw someone who looked similar to the loud man. Her brow creased again causing Goten to become confused. A moment later, the baby managed to free one of her arms and pushed the unsuspecting child down.

Gasps of shock rang out as well as a loud, boisterous laugh from Vegeta. Goten got back to his feet and glared down at the baby. "Hey, what was that for?"

Bulla then smiled kindly at him, disarming the boy, and she extended her hand this time. Goten timidly touched her hand with his finger, grinning once the baby grabbed it with her strong grip.

"Saiyans," Bulma muttered lovingly before meeting her eyes with her husband. Their little girl was going to be a force to reckon with one day. She just knew it.

* * *

As Bulla grew, so did her friendship and rivalry with her brother and friends. She was close with the boys and even their friend Marron. The kids would go exploring and get into all sorts of adventures together, though their adventures were tamer than any their parents ever had. Every so often, they planned to go on their own Dragon Ball hunt like their parents before them, but Bulma had the radar under lock and key. With how many enemies she and her friends had faced, she didn't want the kids to have to go through that too.

Through the years, it was business as usual. During the school year, the older kids would go to school, and Bulla would be left to her own devices at home. She would spend time with her grandmother in the kitchen or go out shopping with her mother. Other times, she'd watch her father train. It interested her to watch, which she didn't understand until her father told her about their proud, Saiyan heritage. Bulla took to training like a fish to water. It was something she now had in common with her older brother and his best friend. She would even spar with them occasionally and, although she was only four, she could keep up very well with the boys and always aim to trounce Goku's youngest son. This fact filled her father with pride. It seemed that the rivalry between his and Kakarot's bloodline would always run strong.

Of course, it wasn't all work and no play for the kids. Goten and Trunks were at that age where they enjoyed playing pranks on the girls. Marron was usually their victim, but soon their focus shifted to Bulla. Her reactions amused the boys, especially when she actually fought back. It wasn't enough to dissuade them, and every so often Bulma and Chi Chi would intervene. Surprisingly, Vegeta would as well. It was common to hear, "If you have time for childish pranks, you have time to train." Trunks knew, though, that his father had a soft spot for his sister. If he was being honest, Trunks did too.

One day, though, even he could admit that they took it too far.

It had been a bright and sunny day, and Chi Chi had brought Goten over to play. He and Trunks spent the day watching television and playing videogames. Bulla had been out with Bulma shopping for a dress for the Capsule Corp. Gala.

Trunks was growing bored and wanted to head outside. He and Goten had sparred for a bit, too. They noticed when Bulla came home, and Trunks had gotten the bright idea for a prank. He told his idea to Goten, and Goten got excited. The plan: when Bulla came outside to play, a paint bomb would go off.

But Bulla didn't come outside to play. Instead, Bulla came outside to show them her new dress. Because of Trunks's bright idea, her dress was ruined.

Goten and Trunks were horrified especially when Bulla started crying. "Uh, B-Bulla, we didn't mean to…"

Bulla pushed Trunks out of the way and ran deep into the yard. Their mother heard the commotion and came outside, asking Trunks what happened. He exchanged a conspiratory glance with Goten, his spiky-haired friend knowing exactly what needed to be done. Goten ran off after Bulla leaving Trunks to deal with his mother. Bulma was staring down at the guilt-ridden boy, her arms crossed and body tense. "It was my fault," Trunks admitted. "I ruined her dress."

Bulla ended up by the side of the pool, the four-year-old so upset to be caught in one of the boys' practical jokes right when she wanted to show her new, white dress with the pink polka dots. Now it was ruined, and she was covered in red paint of all things. Her cries had been reduced to sniffles, but she still felt lousy.

"Bulla…?"

The princess gasped and looked over to see Goten standing there, the seven-year-old looking at her with the most apologetic expression she had ever seen. Still, the youngest Saiyan didn't want to talk to the boy right now. She cast him a glare that would have made her father proud before looking away and crossing her arms. "Hmph," she scoffed. "What do _you _want?"

"Bulla, I'm sorry," Goten emphasized. "Trunks and I just thought you were going to come out and play. We didn't know you'd come out in a dress. If we would have known, we wouldn't have done that. We're really sorry."

"Don't care," Bulla replied haughtily, feeling the tears welling up in her eyes. She closed them tightly and yelled, "Just leave me alone."

Goten felt a jab inside his chest when she tried to send him away, and he didn't like it. Bulla never got angry at him and Trunks in the past before whenever she got caught up in their jokes. If anything, she'd call the idiots and give them a good smack or two, all of them finding enjoyment in good, harmless fun. This time, though, their prank did cause harm, and Bulla was taking it almost personally. Where Goten didn't understand why Bulla needed a new dress when she had dozens, the Capsule Corp. Gala was important to her.

The boy's shoulders tensed as he deflated. He always hated it when Bulla was mad at him. Her temper usually ebbed pretty quickly, but this time he and Trunks had gone overboard. Goten's eyes cast over Bulla, and even though the girl was turned away from him he could see that she was shaking.

"Go away!" she shouted again, though it came out more choked.

Goten panicked. Bulla wasn't just enraged. She was sad!

He shook himself out of his stupor, knowing he had to do something. The half-Saiyan refused to just leave her. Instead, he knelt down behind her and hugged her from behind. Bulla froze, her head tilting slightly to regard the young Son. When she looked into his eyes, she could see just how sorry he was. Bulla sighed and looked away before nodding her forgiveness.

Bulla figured Goten would get all excited again and run off now that he had gotten her forgiveness, as usual, but he lingered this time. His smile wasn't a playful grin, but full of a sincerity the boy never seemed to possess. He was happy his friend forgave him, but he could still see that she was upset. He hoped that his next words would make it all better. In frankness, he said, "You look really good in red."

The little girl blushed immediately at the compliment before murmuring an awkward "thank you." Out of nowhere, they heard Chi Chi's voice calling for him. She did not sound happy. Bulma must have already alerted the woman to her son's antics. Goten sighed. "I guess I'm out," he murmured before smiling at Bulma, the big genuine curve of his lips. "Later princess!"

Goten left the girl alone by the pool, but Bulla felt far from relaxed. Her cheeks were still red, his compliment playing over and over in her mind. Likewise, her heart had skipped a beat, but that didn't make any sense. That was only supposed to happen in fairytales when princesses found their prince. Her blush darkened considerably.

Did she have a crush on Goten?

* * *

The adults always found their children's dynamic cute. There were times they pestered each other and other times they played nicely. It was great to see their babies getting along with each other. Truthfully, after everything the Z Warrior had been through in their life, all the years they had known each other, and all the trials they overcame, it was nice to see that their children would get to live a life of peace.

Vegeta didn't expect the peace to last forever. After all, he had seen his fair share of hardships. For the longest time, he served under the malicious dictator, Frieza, scouring planets for a living. Around the time of Frieza's defeat at Goku's hand, Vegeta was abruptly sent to Earth and put into a whole, new world. It was during that time that they learned about the threat of the Androids and the start of Vegeta's unlikely relationship with the Earthling, Bulma. They shared a night of passion and, as a result, they shared a son. Vegeta was bitter about it at the time, but his opinion changed after meeting their futuristic offspring and watched him die. It had been the most helpless he had ever felt, surpassing when Frieza shot him in the heart.

The older Trunks wasn't the only one who had died in battle. Even the Earth-raised Saiyan perished. Unlike his son, Goku refused to return to life in the living. He believed that he drew danger to the planet, and so he hoped that in his death he'd spare the Earth more turmoil. When Gohan told his mother, she was disheartened and demanded to speak to Goku. They returned to the Lookout, asking Dende for assistance.

No one knew what the woman wanted to say but, once the connection was made, she yelled at her husband to come right home. Goku tried to reason with his wife, but she admitted she didn't care about that. She admitted to Goku that she was pregnant with their second child. The boy needed his father, and so Goku did decide to return, though it was after about a year considering the Dragon Balls were inert after using them early. That meant he went through a year of training in other world, his strength increasing quite a bit.

When he returned, everyone was willing to live a life of peace. The only difference was Vegeta's presence. With someone to test his strength against, Goku was always willing for a good spar with the prince that usually left the both of them beaten and bloodied. They were the last two remaining full-blooded Saiyans, and that was a bond no one else would ever understand. Their need to surpass each other became commonplace. Bulma and Chi Chi had spent many a night patching them up.

This training together helped relieve much of Vegeta's anger. As such, he wasn't always nearly as moody as when he first arrived on Earth. He took an interest in his son and his training, and his relationship with Bulma, though ever confusing, had improved. It wasn't a surprise when Bulma informed the prince that she was pregnant with his second child. Their four-year-old son had been excited. The idea of have a brother like Goten excited him. Vegeta could actually admit that he was looking forward to another son to train. Bulma deflated them slightly by angrily asking, "And what if it's a girl?"

That shut them up really quick.

* * *

Gohan sighed as he effectively completed another school day. He smiled as he returned his textbooks to his locker. The half-Saiyan had started at Orange Star High School earlier in the year. It was a great change of pace from his usual homeschool routine. Besides, it was about time he started making friends around his age. His little brother was already excelling at that.

Though school was his main priority, Gohan still remembered his first day. He had been running late to school, careful to use his speed to get there. He didn't want anyone to know who he was, the boy who defeated Cell. He saw a statue of the famous Hercule Satan and laughed. Well, the boy who fought Cell. Everyone thought the champion had defeated him. Gohan was completely fine with that so long as it meant he was free to do what he wanted.

A shooting at the bank stopped him.

The son of Goku couldn't just turn a blind eye to the injustice of criminals hurting the innocent to get their way. Visions of Frieza and his men, the events of Namek, flashed into his mind. He wanted to help, but he didn't want to be recognized, so he transformed into Super Saiyan and took out those crooks instantly. He disappeared just as quickly as he appeared, and then _she _appeared.

Her name was Videl Satan and, after he had returned to base form, she had shown up demanding to know what had happened. Gohan was completely shocked by the girl's combative attitude. She claimed she should have been the one to handle the robbery. At the time, he had no idea who she was, and she had no idea that he was the "Golden Fighter" one of the citizens claimed to have seen. The only clue Videl had was that the Gold Fighter was someone who went to her school.

She was really determine to find out who he was.

Gohan was a little nervous when he showed up to class, a bit soft-spoken as he introduced himself. It was Videl's friend, Erasa, who invited him to join their group in class. Still, it was Videl who caught Gohan's attention. It seemed everyone was talking about his vigilante antics, and Videl's attention focused solely on him and how he was nearby the crime scene. Plus, he was new, and the Golden Fighter showed up in the exact same day Gohan enrolled.

Videl was as cutthroat as she was suspicious of him. His secret was at risk of being found out on day one. That's when Gohan decided to go to Bulma for help. He couldn't just sit idly by and let evildoers get away with hurting others, but if he was going to fight then he was going to have a disguise. Maybe that would get Videl off his case.

But it didn't. Videl grew even more suspicious of him. What made it even worse was that Gohan thought he had been caught once before by another girl, going on his first albeit reluctant date, a fact that alone disgusted the Saiyan prince when he stopped by Capsule Corp. to pick up his brother.

Even though Videl had some fascination with his identity that was borderline obsessive, Gohan actually found that he rather liked her. Her suspicion made him nervous, but he enjoyed being around her and their group of friends. Honestly, if he was being honest, he started seeing another side of her when she risked her life to save people from that fire. _She is one tough girl, _he mused, unknowingly smiling at his open locker.

Closing his locker door, he turned to see the girl who seemed to be infiltrating his thoughts as of late. She seemed to be as started as he was as they turned at the same time. Videl and Gohan met eyes in the hall, everyone around them existing only in the bachground. Gohan grinned his goofy smile and waved, but Videl simple turned away from him sticking her nose in the air. Once she was out of eyesight, though, Videl's expression softened and her eyes shifted back towards the hall where she just came.

When he first showed up at school, she knew something was off about him. Not only had she seen him at the crime scene of the bank robbery, but he was wearing exactly the same clothing that the Gold Fighter had been seen in. She knew deep down that he was hiding something, but he was able to keep his mystery. Her skepticism never let up. She interrogated him with her friends around so he couldn't get out of answering. Even on the spot, he made up crazy-sounding but logical explanations. Oh how she just wished she had proof.

The Great Saiyaman appeared shortly after, helping her rescue hostages on a bus. He saved them all, including her, from going over a cliff, and after his goofy, little dance, he flew off and said goodbye to _her._ The fact that he knew her name and appeared after her suspicions of Gohan were out in the open made her think that Gohan was trying to disguise himself. It wasn't beyond the realm of possibilities. There was just something about him.

The gentle expression soon turned sour as the girl's eyes narrowed. She let out a quiet "hmph" before continuing her trek out of the school. _Don't you worry, Gohan, _Videl thought haughtily. _I'll figure you out._

But, for now, she had a job to do.

* * *

It was getting harder. He didn't know how much more he could take.

"_Well, well, well," a sinister, saccharine voice cut through him like a knife. "If it isn't my favorite monkey."_

Vegeta was breathing heavily, splashing his face with cold water, but still feeling just as awful as when he was asleep.

"_Frieza…you," the prince growled, shaking with rage. "No, you're dead."_

He remembered that disgusting, eerie laugh, even awake. It made him shake with uncontained rage. He clenched his eyes shut and he gripped the counter.

"_Maybe," the tyrant drawled, "but not for long. I'm coming back."_

_No…_ Vegeta mentally told himself. He refused to believe it. Frieza was gone, and he would never return. He was free. His children and wife were safe. He was living a different life. There was no reason for these dreams to show up out of nowhere. He hadn't had nightmares of his tormentor in _years!_

"_The hell you are!"_

_Frieza merely chuckled, smirking viciously. Vegeta knew that look. It was the same look that monster wore whenever he had the upper hand. "You _know _I am."_

Vegeta's dark eyes widened as he looked at his reflection in the mirror. He was panicking, he knew. He kept trying to take deep breaths, but he felt like he was breathing water. Sweat covered his brow, and Vegeta could just feel it. Something was wrong. Something was going to happen. Could…could Frieza actually be coming back?

"_You know I am," Frieza repeated, the landscape around them changing to that of his ship. Vegeta's eyes widened, looking down to see his old armor. He was on his knees before Frieza, a position he vowed he'd never be in again. Then, something caught his eye. A little group of people, a blur of blue and lavender._

Vegeta punched the mirror, shattering it and cutting his fist. It couldn't be. It just couldn't be. Frieza couldn't hurt them. It was just a barbaric nightmare, but Vegeta could still hear the screams of his loved ones as Frieza tortured them before him. In his nightmare, he was powerless to stop the manace, each time he tried getting beat down again and again.

"_Just like old times, monkey," Frieza jeered, straggling Vegeta with his tail. Vegeta struggled to break free, cringing but managing to keep one eye open on his baby girl crying in Frieza's clutches._

"_Leave…her…alone!" he shouted desperate, Trunks and Bulma already bloodied on the floor. He couldn't, couldn't let this happen._

_Frieza looked down cruelly at Vegeta._

"_Try and stop me, weakling."_

"Vegeta?"

Vegeta tensed and looked up at the broken mirror, the tired reflection of his wife catching his eye. Bulma rubbed the bleariness from her eyes and then took in the scene in front of her. A sigh escaped her lips. "Honey, again?"

"Hn," Vegeta scoffed, crossing his arms, ignoring the way his warm blood ran down his skin.

Bulma took notice and went straight for the first aid kit before looking at her broken mirror. "You know, breaking a mirror equals seven years bad luck."

"Spare me your superstitions," Vegeta returned. "I'm in no mood."

The woman was careful not to step on the broken shards of glass to get to her husband, Vegeta reluctantly allowing her to treat his fist. "Vegeta, this is the third time this week. Frieza again?" Vegeta didn't have to answer for her to know. "They're just dreams. The kids and I are safe. You're safe. He can't hurt you anymore."

But that wasn't true, and Vegeta knew it. He _felt _like his dreams were telling him something. Saiyans were known to dream of enemies before they even appeared, and this recurring nightmare was not helping. There was no way Frieza should be able to return, but Vegeta knew that there was a way. After all, he had died and lived to tell about it. Frieza would do the same. This…this was a warning.

"It'll all be okay," Bulma tried, moving to gently stroke her face.

Vegeta stopped her and glared at her. "You don't understand," he told her. "You don't know him like I do."

Bulma huffed and looked to her husband with a defiant glint in her eyes. "He's gone. Trunks killed him. You need to put him behind you."

The prince growled and looked away. How could he do that when just moments ago the bastard was standing right in front of him?

Why couldn't he shake the feeling that something was wrong?


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or the characters**

**I'm back with another chapter for the requested story from CoreyPeters on DeviantArt. Also, a special thanks to Over8000 for acting as a beta for this chapter ^_^**

**Remember, the only differences are that Goku returned after Cell and Bulla is three years younger than Goten. This story starts during the Buu Saga.**

**Be sure to follow me here, on Tumblr, and on DeviantArt.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Bulla hummed happily as she worked with her grandmother in the kitchen. The little one had taken a fascination whenever her grandmother was baking. She had taken to helping, though usually she made quite a mess. Slowly but surely, Bulla was getting better at it, but Panchy still wouldn't let her near the stove.

Her grandmother sent her off one the cookies were lining the tray, so the princess went outside to find her brother and Goten. She figured she could play with them. Of course, when she did spot them, they were in the middle of sparring.

Bulla's eyes lit up at the sight. She always loved watching others fight. It helped her to learn, and sometimes she learned moves from watching her brother and Goten that her father couldn't anticipate in their training. She wondered what kind of things she could learn from them today.

Happily she skipped over to the area, Trunks and Goten exchanging punches and kicks. They were jumping around, both trying to use their speed to their advantage. The boys were evenly matched, but Trunks had a bit more power behind his hits. It made sense. He was older, after all.

Goten managed to get the drop on Trunks at one point after jumping up, aiming a kick as he descended, and the only thing Trunks could think to do was fly up into the air. He readied himself to defend against Goten, expecting his friend to follow him into the skies. But an attack never came. Trunks chanced looking down to see Goten looking a bit upset. His mouth was open wide in shock, eyes full of hurt, and his whole body was shaking. Trunks's raised a purple brow before he landed in front of his friend.

"W-When…" Goten started to ask. He closed his eyes and swallowed before he glared to the lavender-haired hybrid without any heat. "When did you learn to fly?"

"I don't know, a while ago," Trunks replied a bit defensively, crossing his arms. He looked off to the side and noticed his sister. "Oh, hey, Bulla. Were you watching?"

Bulla nodded and stepped forward, looking to Goten. She could see the Son boy was surprised to see her. He wore a frown on his face, probably still upset about the whole flying thing. "Do you know how to fly, too?" he tested.

The princess sighed. "Yeah, I do."

"Our dad taught us," Trunks explained. "It's easy."

"Oh," Goten responded a bit sullenly. Disappointment filled him at the fact that his dad hadn't even tried to teach him to fly in all their training. Was there something wrong with him that his dad didn't think he could do it?

As if hearing his thought, Bulla made a suggestion. "You could always ask you dad or even your brother to teach you." Goten blinked at her in surprise. "I'm sure Gohan is a good teacher, too."

Goten smiled as he said, "Thanks, Bulla. That's a great idea. You're really smart."

Bulla had to turn away, the little girl blushing over the compliment Goten paid her. "O-Of course…"

* * *

Gohan kept trying to avoid Videl as the Great Saiyaman when they weren't in school. Even though he had helped her fight crime, she still seemed hell-bent on unmasking him. The teenager just wanted to be left alone and keep his secret. It was a small price to pay for saving the world, right? He should be allowed some peace in his life.

But Videl was pushy, actually kind of reminding him of his mom. He had to find a way to discourage her. Apparently, placing her jet on top of a building wasn't incentive enough. Just what did he have to do to get her off his case? Gohan had managed to get her to think he wasn't Saiyaman at one point after taking a punch to the face. Still, there were times she wouldn't let up.

They went through so many ordeals together including the fire and taking on that gang. That was a day Gohan would always remember. Videl had been determined to take on the gang leader without Saiyaman's help. Gohan managed to deal with the other men, and he was about to run to her rescue when he saw her caught by the leader. Videl surprised him by finishing off the large man with a sharp hit to his gut. Gohan had been so amazed by her. She even thanked him for coming to her aid, but she was still persistent when it came to learning who he was.

Gohan thought he was out of the woods when their friends at school told Videl how he disappeared after she did. Her suspicion was renewed, and Gohan managed to hide, but he felt a strange sense of satisfaction when Videl and Erasa both defended him to Sharpner.

If it wasn't for a terrible circus owner taking Goten's dinosaur friend, Gohan's identity probably would have been spared.

Gohan promised Goten that he'd rescue Chobi.

He tried to reason with circus owner, but it did nothing. Gohan decided that he would return to the circus as the Great Saiyaman and rescue Chobi on his own. Videl was called to the scene to take back the stolen dinosaur. It was the first time that Gohan was on the wrong end of the law. It couldn't be helped. Chobi needed to go back to his parents or the city would be in even more danger.

When Chobi's parents attacked the city, Gohan tried to get them to hear the sound of his voice, and he almost slipped his name. Videl figured it all out from there. She was the only one who knew, and she was ready to go public with his secret. She even found out about how his dad had won the World Martial Arts Tournament before her father. She was determined to face him there. Gohan managed to convince her, though, to keep it, but she had to blackmail him first. He was going to enter the WMAT like his father before him. Not only that, but Videl wanted to learn to fly.

"Man," Gohan sighed. "Blackmailed again. How do I do it?"

Gohan told his family all about the tournament, and of course his mother wasn't thrilled. They managed to placate her, telling her about the prize money. The teenager was the one who suggested he could use it for school in the future.

All that was really left to do was train. Goten had asked Gohan to teach him to fly. It actually worked out since Videl wanted to learn too. Their dad was just as eager for the tournament. He got started on his own training right away.

The day Videl came to Mount Paozu was certainly interesting. Already, Chi Chi hadn't been the welcoming sort, and Videl was just as fiery. Before introductions could even take place, the two women were at each other's throats. She seemed overly concerned that Videl was there looking to distract her son from his goal. Goku and Gohan watched in both horror and awe, gaping at the two nervously. Goten was confused by the whole thing. He was the one who cut the tension after Chi Chi had called the teenaged girl a hussy.

"My mom and dad got married at the World Championships, didn't you mom? Maybe that's why she's worried. I guess kissy-kissy stuff and fighting _do _mix sometimes."

Chi Chi got that dreamy look in her eyes as she remembered. "In our case, yes. I competed. I fought your dad and married him in the same day."

"Oh yeah, we did. That was after I turned down Kami when he asked me to be guardian."

Gohan sighed in relief now that his mother had cooled down for just a moment. He took the opportunity to introduce his friend before his mother could get worked up again. "Mom, this is Videl. She's the one who convinced me to participate in the tournament in the first place. I never even would have considered it if it weren't for her."

Goku jumped up from where he was sitting and stretched his muscles. "Oh man, just thinking about the tournament is getting me excited. I'll have to tell all the others. This is gonna be awesome!"

Videl was in shock as Goku took to the skies like a light. He waved down to all of them. "Later, Gohan! Bye, Goten! I'll see you later, Chi Chi!"

Chi Chi sighed but smiled up at the sky, her husband no longer hovering over their home. "Oh, Goku," she mused. Her eyes shifted to the kids. "I haven't seen your father this excited in a while. I guess it's going to be all training here all the time again, huh?"

"Pretty much," Gohan replied before looking to Videl and Goten. "Ready to learn?"

"Yeah, alright!"

Videl just stared at the sky, still completely astounded by how the eldest Son had practically disappeared. Her eyes shifted to Gohan. He was acting like this was so normal. Just who were these people?

* * *

"Whoo hoo!" Goku bellowed.

The Saiyan flew as fast as he could, causing waves to splash over a huge lake. Water sprayed his face, and Goku reveled in the feeling. He was still thrilled about the World Martial Arts Tournament. He hadn't participated since the year he defeated Piccolo. That really had been a big year.

His whole life had changed after that. He and Chi Chi had married, and they had Gohan pretty soon after. With everything going on at home, Goku had skipped the next tournament. Everyone else had as well, all training harder than ever. Then, Raditz had shown up, and they were introduced to a whole, big universe. The battles grew more intensive, but it was nice to take a break and have some good, clean tournament fun.

Goku's mind immediately went to Vegeta. The Saiyan prince had become a good rival and buddy. He was probably one of the only ones who could understand his love of fighting. Maybe he'd want to be in the tournament too!

He took a quick detour on his way to the wasteland, veering off into the direction of the West City. He spotted Capsule Corp. easily. Not surprising, Vegeta was outside practicing some punches and kicks. Goku grinned and landed quickly, meeting Vegeta's fist with his own.

Vegeta was momentarily stunned, but he quickly regained his composure and smirked. "Kakarot, come for a spar?"

The two exchanged a couple of punches, each blocking the other. "Not exactly," Goku replied, his voice sounding serious but eager. "I've got a question for you."

The prince snickered, swinging into a kick. Goku managed to phase out of sight. Vegeta twisted to block the third-class's punch. "All this way for a question? I'm surprised you didn't use that instant transmission of yours for something like that."

"What can I say? I had some extra energy. I'm excited!"

A dark brow quirked in interest before coal eyes narrowed. "For what?"

"The World Martial Arts Tournament is coming soon," Goku told Vegeta pushing back, the two of them falling into their fighting stances. "I used to participate in it every three years when it was held. Gohan decided he wanted join in the fun. I wanna go again, too. I wanted to invite you."

Vegeta scoffed. "You'd really go through a whole tournament full of weaklings?" A dark chuckle escaped him. "I'm the only fight that's worth your time."

"Hey, now," Goku chided with a laugh. "You don't know that. Besides, I'm going to tell the others too. Come on, Vegeta. It could be fun!"

"Eager for some _real _competition, hm?" Vegeta jabbed arrogantly. "Fine. Perhaps it will be _fun._"

"Great!" Goku cheered, falling out of his stance and stretching. Vegeta was actually surprised that he started to walk away. He turned to smile at the prince saying, "I've gotta tell the others. See ya later, Vegeta!"

"Hold up!" the prince shouted, stopping Goku before he took in the air.

Goku noticed that Vegeta looked irritated. "What?"

"If you start a battle, finish it, even if it's a training exercise."

The spiky-haired Saiyan smirked and turned back to face him. "Alright, then. In that case, I've got time."

* * *

About an hour later, both Saiyans were in the infirmary, Bulma patching them up. "I swear," the woman huffed. "Can't you two ever go easy on each other?" Goku laughed and Vegeta huffed, crossing his arms. Bulma already knew the answer to that one. This actually _was_ taking it easy. "What's this all about?"

"I was telling Vegeta about the WMAT," Goku told her.

Bulma, who had been wrapping bandages around Vegeta's arm, froze. She looked to her friend. "Are you serious? I thought you lost interest in that after you won."

"Gohan's gonna join," Goku said, beaming with pride. "I thought some nice, leisure fighting would be great!"

The woman laughed. "Only you two could put 'leisure' and 'fighting' in the same sentence. Well, I guess it's okay. Just try not to hurt anyone, _Vegeta_."

"Hmph."

"Can we join?"

The three adults looked over to see Trunks and Bulla standing in the doorway. "Trunks?" Bulma called out in surprise. "I thought you kids were in your rooms."

The siblings exchange a glance before they looked to their mother. "We were hungry," they said together. Bulma couldn't help but smile.

Honestly, Bulma had no problem with Trunks participating. Though Goku had been much older than him when he first took part in the World Martial Arts Tournament, he had been far weaker with less experience. Still, Bulma's eyes landed on her daughter. Bulla was still so young. She had only begun real training with her father not too long ago. Most of her learning was in the form of watching fights. Bulma wasn't sure if her baby girl was ready for that. "Mama, can we fight?" the little girl asked, her blue eyes full of hope.

"Well," Bulma sighed, "you're still learning, sweetie. You're a little young for the tournament anyway." She could already see the disappointment filling her child and looked to her husband who seemed to be mulling over the ption in his head. Well, he'd probably be no help. He probably want to see his daughter fight, regardless. Bulma was sure he was keener on the idea than her, so she needed to think of something. Then, an idea hit. "Besides, you wouldn't want to leave Marron alone during the tournament, would you? She isn't training to be a fighter like you."

This seemed to have the effect Bulma wanted. Bulla's facial features smoothened out, the child no longer disappointment. "Oh, okay. I won't fight this time," she told her mother. Her expression then turned to one of determination, and Bulma fought a smile at how similar she looked to her father in that moment. "But I want to fight next time."

"That sounds like a plan, sweetheart," Bulma encouraged, noticing the delighted simper of her husband.

The woman looked down to her first aid kit. _Looks like I'm going need more bandages._

* * *

Later that night, despite all of the day's training, Vegeta was once again cursed with the same nightmare. After having the recurrent dream for over a week now, every night, it was getting to the point where he was over exhausted. Still, he couldn't ever fall back to sleep, haunted by the awful images of his family dead at his feet.

This pushed him to train more.

In the early hours of the morning, he finally came inside. It was still dark out indicating that there were but a few more hours before sunrise. Vegeta quietly made the trek up the stairs, his muscles aching and body pushed past its limit. Bulma would surely be lecturing him in the morning. Oh well, it didn't matter. She would just have to deal with it.

As he walked passed his daughter's room, he felt the child's energy rise and heard her crying. Quickly, he went inside, the girl tossing and turning in her sleep. He refused to let her suffer from her own nightmares, whatever they were. Gently, he shook her, catching her fist as she reacted to being woken up. Her blue eyes were pools of tears, and the proud, Saiyan prince felt an ache in his chest. "Eschalot," he called softly, saying the name he had wanted to give her…her Saiyan name and a secret between them. "What's wrong?"

"Papa?" the girl weakly greeted before she threw herself at him, trying to wrap her tiny arms around him. Vegeta hugged his daughter close, his heartbeat thumping rapidly against his chest. He couldn't only wonder what had his little princess so hysterical. After a few minutes of crying, she finally said, "I had a bad dream about a scary monster."

Vegeta felt like the ground shattered beneath him. _She couldn't possibly have dreamed…no!_ "A monster?" he questioned coolly, trying to force himself to not show any inkling of nervous energy around the child.

Bulla nodded mumbling "mm-hm." She looked over to her closet and told her father, "He was scary with horns and he was in there."

The full-blooded Saiyan felt overwhelmed by her words and managed to muster up the courage to go to the closet. Reaching very slowly, he touched the doorknob. He whipped the door open, nearly off its hinges, and he felt his muscles relax the moment he saw there was nothing in there.

He was pathetic. Mentally, he cursed himself for the inane fear that Frieza would have been behind the door.

Vegeta turned to his daughter and stepped away from her closet to show her it was simply full of clothes and toys, nothing more. "You are safe," he told her, returning to the bed. "Go back to sleep."

Bulla shook her head, still scared from her dreams. "Papa," she weakly murmured, "can you stay with me?"

The prince bit back a sigh and then took his place beside his daughter. Bulla nuzzled against her father's chest ignoring that fact that he had just come from training. Normally she'd tease him for being sticky and sweaty, and when she didn't Vegeta grimaced. He didn't care what she dreamed, if it was as awful as Frieza or as simple as some inane boogieman. He mentally promised to always protect no matter what the cost. She was the light of his life.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or the characters**

**Here's another chapter of the story for CoreyPeters on DeviantArt. I hope you all enjoy!**

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* * *

Bulma drove everyone to the island where the World Martial Arts Tournament was to be held, her large aircraft moving too slow for Vegeta's tastes. It was good to have everyone together, and even more invigorating to see the kids altogether. There was a certain camaraderie between both the kids and their parents that just left everyone feeling eager. Of course, with everyone raring to go and fight, Gohan had to remind his father, brother, Vegeta, and Trunks not to go Super Saiyan during the fights. The last thing anyone wanted was to be recognized.

Everyone got themselves signed up for the tournament, and it was there that Trunks and Goten learned they'd have to fight in the junior division of the tournament. It was something that was created long after Goku and Krillin entered the tournament as boys.

"Great, they're sticking us with all the little kids, Goten," Trunks grumbled irritably.

"Huh?" Goten gasped out.

Trunks turned back and said to the man, "Thanks for the offer, but we'll take the _adult tournament_."

"I'm sorry, but I can't do that. There are rules."

"But that's so boring!"

Bulla giggled at her brother's outburst. He may have been older than her, but sometimes he acted like a little kid. "I don't know what you're complaining about," she told him after the group started walking to the waiting area. "You still get to be in the tournament."

"Yeah, but the fights are going to be too easy," Trunks complained.

Goten looked a little glum over the prospect, too. "I wanted to fight with my dad and Gohan and the others. Dad got to fight in the whole tournament when he was little."

"My dad did too," Marron agreed. "I know you were both looking forward to it, but just look at the bright side. It'll just be that much easier for you two to end up fighting each other. The other kids don't stand a chance."

"Hey, she's right!" Goten chimed, him and Trunks facing each other and meeting their fists.

"Yeah, see you in the finals then, Goten."

"I'll be there!"

Bulla and Marron shared a jovial laugh, happy to see the boys' energy and excitement returned to them. They heard their mothers calling for them, and they looked over to see that their parents had all moved on. The four kids rushed over, but Bulla, Trunks, and Goten all noticed two people missing.

_Where's dad? _all three of them thought at the same time about their respective fathers.

* * *

Vegeta had gone off on his own, still feeling stressed and anxious over the constant nightmares that had been afflicting him as of late. It hadn't gotten any better since the night Bulla had dreamt about a monster. Nightmares of Frieza continued to plague him, and the amount of restful sleep he had actually gotten manifested itself in just a few hours after wearing himself out entirely through training. When that happened, his mind was a void, but his body was spent.

It was starting to take its toll on Vegeta.

Out of nowhere, Goku popped right in front of him, a big grin on his face. "Hey, Vegeta! What're you doing all the way over here? I was looking for ya."

Goku's sudden appearance startled the jumpy prince. "Damnit, Kakarot! Don't do that!"

The other Saiyan pouted a bit. "Well, you're grumpier than usual. Today is supposed to be fun."

Vegeta was about to retort, but he actually couldn't deny his rival's claim. "I have been on edge lately," he admitted, crossing his arms and looking away.

Confused, Goku asked, "Why?"

Memories of his nightmares along with dealing with Frieza in real life wore on Vegeta's mind. He knew Frieza was gone. As his wife said, the futuristic version of their son had ended him. That reminded Vegeta that the Earth-raised Saiyan had failed in ending Frieza in the first place.

A glare made its way to his face, Vegeta angered by this realization. If Trunks had so easily taken out Frieza, there was no reason why Goku should have failed. That could only mean one thing, and it left a sour feeling in Vegeta's stomach. Goku let Frieza go during their fight on Namek.

"What would you do if Frieza ever came back?"

The question baffled Goku more than Vegeta's edginess. His brow furrowed as he asked his friend, "Why are you asking? Frieza's gone."

In a demanding voice, Vegeta pressed, "Would you be foolish enough to let him go?"

"Vegeta, this doesn't make any sense," Goku murmured. "Where is all this coming from?"

"Kakarot, just answer the damn question!" Vegeta hissed, his blood boiling at his rival's avoidance.

Goku sighed and then said, "It depends on the situation and what Frieza would be doing. If he doesn't plan to do evil anymore, then it's not my place to end him."

"Not your place?" Vegeta emphasized with disgust. "Kakarot, Frieza is a monster who destroyed our race and planet! He will destroy us all if he ever came back. You can't just let him go."

"You killed our friends and we let you go," Goku spoke before he thought. "You changed."

Vegeta growled bitterly, angered over the answer he got as well as Goku's naivety. The prince shook his head in disbelief. He glared at Goku before he turned his back on him, walking away. Before he left, he had one thing to say.

"You're a fool."

* * *

The day was fairly lighthearted with barely an incident. As per normal, everyone was overly enthused over the Earth's savior, Hercule, and his defeat over Cell seven years before. They even did a "historical enactment" showing the events as they had taken place. The Z fighters found quite a bit of humor, but there was a bit more irritation on Piccolo's and Vegeta's part. It was such a farce of an interpretation, and it was hard to believe anyone could have believed such drivel.

It was shown right before the junior division of the tournament, and everyone was eager for the fights to get underway. Of course, the only fight worth watching would be Trunks versus Goten, but Bulla was determined to use each fight as a learning opportunity.

The little princess sat beside her best friend, their mothers sitting on their opposite sides.

Everyone was getting antsy for the junior division to start, especially after the farce of a movie. Krillin, Goku, and Piccolo were discussing all the changes from when they participated in the tournament so long ago. Soon enough, all the children in the junior division came out of the hut, Krillin pointing out Trunks and Goten among them.

Bulla looked to see her brother and their friend standing together. The two were practically inseparable, so it didn't surprise her. Their mothers cheered loudly for them, as to be expected. Bulla smiled at them before her eyes became serious and she looked to the ring so intensely. The fights were about to begin, and she had training to do.

As her father instructed her, she was to watch all the fights, even the ones where Goten and Trunks weren't fighting. She was supposed to study everyone's form and moves to come up with possible corrections or solution in the fight. In a way, she needed to determine what she would do, and later he'd quiz her on it. Some of the fights were just ridiculous. One of the kids actually cried.

"_Never let an enemy see they've gotten to you," _Bulla recalled her father saying once.

_Their forms are just awful, _the princess noted. _None of them really know how to defend. If they had a better stance, they'd be able to stand their ground._

And then Trunks match was announced, him versus some kid named Idasa. The mother of the kid was actually sitting nearby, talking trash about Trunks. Bulma growled, glaring at the woman, and Bulla caught wind of it, also narrowing her eyes. "Get him, Trunks! You make that boy sorry he ever met you!" Bulma encouraged. It irritated Idasa's mother greatly.

The fight was over before it ever began. Trunks won by knockout.

Bulla sighed and leaned back in her seat. It seemed the real challenge wouldn't come until Trunks and Goten fought.

A couple more of the dull fights passed, and then Bulla perked up at the sound of Goten's name. She didn't even hear who he'd be fighting, but it seemed like another older kid. Goten looked so nervous out there, probably being in front of a crowd so large. Still, everyone in their group was ready to see what he could do, even Vegeta who had finally shown up.

The irritating woman called out to the boy, Ikose, cheering for him and pointing out how his brother had lost. Chi Chi, like Bulma, sent encouraging words towards her son, telling him to relax. She had the utmost faith in him.

"You preschool, tiny tot doesn't stand a chance against my big, strong Ikose," the woman declared, crossing her arms. "Oh, let him have it son!"

"Wasn't that your other big, strong son that my little boy knocked out cold earlier with one little kick?" Bulma was all too happy to point out.

As the mothers kept yelling at one another, Bulla found herself smiling at Goten. He was looking around at all of the people, awed and innocent. Ikose didn't even seem to register to the boy. She didn't realize she was lifting her hands to her mouth to call out to her friend. "Good luck, Goten! You can do it!"

Marron glanced over at her friend who had been unusually quiet the entire tournament. Little Bulla's cheers even called the attention of the warring woman next to her, her mother slightly bewildered. The blue-haired child didn't notice the various pairs of eyes on her, even her father's from above. Her focus was solely on Goten, and she couldn't stop smiling.

As the match started, Goten gave a polite, little bow to his opponent. The fight was underway, but no one had really made a move. Goten's opponent was moving, doing some slow footwork and throwing punches like a bad boxer. He was putting a lot of energy into those punches, as if he was trying to scare Goten. The half-Saiyan hadn't even really fallen into any sort of defensive stance. With the kid keeping his distance, there really wasn't any danger.

Bulla was proven correct that the other boy was wasting too much energy. He had to stop to take some deep breaths. _There's no way he's going to win like that, _the princess observed, still not taking her eyes off the fighters.

Marron noticed that her friend seemed more enraptured by Goten's fight more than her own brother's. The little girl was curious about this. She had long suspected that her friend had a crush on Goten. Bulla never said anything to her about it, but Marron had known the girl for all her life. The blonde smiled. The princess really did have a lot of her father in her. She would have to find out the details later, catch her off-guard. That would probably be the only way Bulla would admit to anything, especially liking Goten.

Ikose finally threw a punch, one that Goten easily blocked with his finger. Goten wasn't making as quick of work with his opponent as Trunks. He just didn't have it in him to attack the other kid.

A flurry of punches was thrown Goten's way, but he blocked them all. Bulla couldn't really see Goten up close, but she gathered he wasn't really enjoying the fight. He was more engaged when he and Trunks sparred together, or even when he sparred with her. Finally, he threw a gentle punch to the boy's chin, knocking him out as well.

After his victory was declared, the mother of the other boy was completely aggravated. Bulma found humor in the woman's plight and heckled her. Bulla flinched when the woman threatened to kill her mother, and she was on her feet in an instant. She didn't have to intervene, though. Chi Chi delivered a punch that sent the woman back, sitting back down proudly.

Still, Bulla eyed the other woman. A spike of distrust entered her young heart.

The rest of the matches went as expected, Trunks and Goten defeating all of their opponents. Though the other fights took a little bit of time, the two boys made quick work of their fights, eager to get to the main event.

And then, it was finally time.

Trunks and Goten breezed through their fights and now were both standing beside the announcer as he explained that one of them would soon be champion. People in the stands, even strangers, were all cheering for the two kids. Bulla leaned forward in her seat, a smile on her face. She really hoped that Goten would win, though when she once again cheered for him, Bulma reminded her that her brother was fighting also. Bulla then realized the scrutiny she was under by all those who knew her and also called a cheer out for Trunks, telling her mother that she hadn't even gotten the chance to yet.

Already the beginning of the boys' fight was full of intensity, the two charging each other and managing to block the other. Both were planning to go for the win. They exchanged blows mid-air, flashing out of sight and evading each other at amazing speed. The whole stadium was silent aside from their group commenting on the kids' abilities. Shock and awe was pretty much all around.

Bulla was able to keep up with their movements, studying each strike and noting how either her brother or friend reacted. Neither was giving an inch, but even defending they weren't slowing down their speed at all. Their concentration was incredible, and Bulla pouted, her pride wounded, realizing that when the boys sparred with her it was nothing like this.

They were holding back for her, waiting for her to catch up.

Eventually, Trunks got the main fight blow, an afterimage tricking Goten and her brother nearly hitting him out of the ring. Goten managed to catch himself, going back towards Trunks. Their fast flurry of punches and kicks continued as they moved around the ring. Trunks attempted to use the sun as coverage, hoping to land an aerial move, but Goten managed to stop him, putting Trunks in a headlock. Unfortunately for Goten, Trunks freed himself quick and struck him hard, down towards the ring. Once again, Goten caught himself, and he and Trunks landed a hit on each other with equal force. Trunks recovered first, and then they returned to their volley. Others in the stadium were completely bewildered by what they were witnessing.

Their fight took to the sky again, another flash of a hit occurring before they cascaded back down, standing apart on opposite sides from one another. The warm up was over. The next phase of their fight was about to begin. Bulla was at the edge of her seat still, barely registering Chi Chi and Bulma cheering loudly and vigorously for their son's to win. _Come on, Goten…you can do this._

Finally, the audience came back to life, crying out for more. The fight between Trunks and Goten sparked interest in all of the onlookers, more so than any of the other, more comical fights before them.

The fight was starting to heat up, literally as the boys started using their ki. Actually, Trunks was the first to wield it, having complete control. The crowd was in disbelief, thinking it was some kind of rocket fire. Goten thought it was really cool, showing off some of the moves his brother and father taught him before, but he did not have as much control over it as Trunks had and ended up damaging the roof of one of the buildings. A small conversation was had by the boys, the two agreeing not to use beams at all to avoid causing any further damage.

They were at it again, this time going into the deepest part of the fight. They were done showing off, finally getting serious. Trunks managed to get the drop on Goten again, the younger fighter surprised. He and Trunks had been pretty close in strength not too long ago. He must have been training with his dad really hard getting ready for the tournament. During that time, they didn't see each other as much, but Goten still thought they were at the same place.

His fight with Trunks was teaching him that that wasn't completely right. They were still close in strength, but Trunks was pulling moves that caught Goten completely off-guard. He knocked Goten into the air, disorienting him, and then Goten couldn't find Trunks at all. Not until the other boy grabbed him from behind, playing Goten's earlier move. His grip, though, was much tighter, and Goten couldn't break free. "No fair, Trunks. How'd you do that? Let me go!" Trunks merely snickered before giving Goten a warning.

Bulla grimaced when she heard Goten yelling out. Trunk was fighting a little too rough for her taste, and Goten was their friend! There had to be some rule against that, right?

"_A Saiyan warrior must strive to win at all costs. There's no room for mercy."_

Well, maybe not according to her father. He was probably loving every minute of this. The princess mentally sighed, quietly cheering for Goten this time to avoid making a scene with her mother again.

With the boys, Goten was still struggling, and Trunks could hear cracks and pops coming from his friend's body as he moved against him. "Give it up, Goten. I don't want to have to hurt you. You're only making this harder on yourself."

Goten refused. "I can't. I won't. N-Never!"

Instead of surrendering, Goten transformed, his Super Saiyan energy pushing Trunks back. After freeing himself, Goten went back to base form, wearing a smile, supposedly not realizing what he had just done. Trunks was quick to remind Goten of the earlier promise everyone had made, the one where they were told _not _to go Super Saiyan.

Bulla watched as her brother and Goten were arguing over something. Trunks appeared calm and cool, but Goten was frantic and looking a bit perturbed over whatever Trunks was saying. _I wonder what's going on down there… _the princess pondered. Just what was Trunks up to?

Moments later, the answer came in a strange way. Trunks was only fighting Goten with one of his arms, blocking and punching with it, dodging Goten's hits and using his legs too. Bulla deadpanned. Did her brother really just decide to start fighting one-handed? What was the point of that?

It had to be some bizarre game to Trunks, one where he expected Goten to lose either way. Maybe Trunks realized something that Goten hadn't. Maybe, just maybe, the fact that Goten needed to go Super Saiyan against the young prince encouraged Trunks to fight this way. Trunks was being cocky now, and despite how well he seemed to be doing, Goten managed to land a hit that dazed him. _Hmph, serves you right, _Bulla mentally berated her brother, a soft glare on her features. A shuffle at her side alerted her, and Bulla looked to see Marron eyeing her strangely. The little princess blushed and looked back to the ring. _D-Did I say that out loud?_

Then, if one could believe it, the fight became even more intense. Goten took to the sky, charging down at Trunks. Both were using their ki to attack and defend, propelling themselves away from each other. Even Trunks went Super a couple of times for that extra boost of speed. The orange-suited boy was pushed from the ring, attempting to use his energy to keep him from facing a ring out.

Unfortunately, Goten's feet touched seats in the rafters. Goten had lost…just like that.

Trunks returned to base form after he was declared the winner. Bulma cheered loudly from her seat, as did the rest of the crowd. Bulla could hear her father bragging to Goten's. She should have been happy for her brother, too, but instead she felt irritated with him for going against the agreement even if Goten had earlier.

No, the princess was disappointed for her friend more than she was happy for her brother. She really hoped no one noticed. There would be too many questions from her family. Looking over to Marron to see the girl grinning at her told her that her friend was already suspicious.

* * *

The adult tournament had gotten underway, and there was still no sign of Trunks or Goten after the junior division. Only a few matches had occurred. Krillin had defeated this big giant, Marron at first nervous for her father having never seen him fight. Then, something strange happened. Piccolo went up against some purple guy and surrendered before even fighting. Right after, another match was announced. Videl, daughter of the "Earth's savior," was going up against someone named Spopovich, a man aggressive and angry in appearance. Bulla stared at the ring, blinking, sensing that something was off.

She wasn't the only one.

"Hey, Bulma, I'm going to take the kids for some ice cream, okay?" Yamcha spoke up, his tone surprisingly serious. Bulla looked to her mother to see if it was okay to leave, but saw that she looked a bit worried too.

"Yeah, sure, thanks Yamcha," the blue-haired woman replied, looking down to the ring. Her eyes narrowed when she took in Spopovich's appearance.

Bulla was going to argue to stay. If the smartest woman in the world could take notice that something was wrong just by observing the two fighters below, then Bulla wanted to find out. Still, when Marron happily grabbed her arm to pull her along, Bulla didn't have the heart to disappoint her friend. She just kept her eyes on the ring until the competitor were out of sight.

Just what was going on out there?

* * *

Things could have been worse, she assumed. Getting an ice cream break from her mental training wasn't what she expected. To her surprise, Uncle Yamcha seemed to take her Saiyan appetite into consideration. He got her the biggest banana split, her favorite, while he and Marron had their two-scoop sundaes.

While they were snacking, Yamcha got pulled away by a couple of girls who recognized him from his baseball career. He didn't go far, keeping close watch over the girls as he spoke to them and gave them autographs. Actually, it gave the girls some time to talk alone.

"So, since when did you start crushing on Goten?"

The question caught Bulla off-guard, the Saiyan princess nearly choking on the spoon and ice cream in her mouth. She smacked her chest as she slammed the spoon down on the table, flashing her less than apologetic friend an accusatory glare.

But the moment of irritation passed as the question registered in the child's mind. Bulla's blue eyes widened in shock. How had Marron guessed…she never said anything! There were two ways to play this, either panic or act just like either of her parents. Like her father, she crossed her arms and looked away, and like her mother, she shouted with an attitude of control. "I have _no _idea what you're talking about," Bulla convincingly mustered, giving no inkling to her embarrassment. "I _don't _have a crush on Goten."

Marron just giggled, knowing full well that her friend was protesting a little too much. "Really? Well, you seemed really eager for him to win his matches, especially against your brother." Bulla could hardly meet her friend's gaze, and honestly she didn't want to. "What's up with that?"

"You're imagining things," Bulla huffed, boredom evident in her voice. "I just can't stand when Trunks acts so cocky. _Someone _needs to put him in his place from time to time."

A laugh from the blonde grated on Bulla's eardrums, the pout ever-present on her face. "Whatever you say, Bulla," Marron chimed before saying, "Still, I wonder what the boys are up to. They should have come back to us by now."

Now that Marron mentioned it, the boys really should have come back after Trunks bested "the Earth's savior." A flicker of jealousy entered Bulla's heart. Her brother and Goten were probably around wreaking havoc and playing without her, leaving her behind…like they did with training.

Well, if they were going to be that way, Bulla wasn't going to concern herself with their whereabouts. She had her own training to focus on. "I wish we were watching the fight," Bulla complained, resting her chin on her hand.

She could have never have known the gruesomeness she and Marron had been spared from witnessing.

* * *

At the tournament, there had been so much bloodshed and viciousness that it was best the girls were not there to witness it. Videl's battle with Spopovich had ended badly, the teenager being brutalized in a way that had provoked Gohan into transforming and nearly blowing his cover. The match ended with the evil man tossing the girl out of the ring like a ragdoll, tears streaming down her face. Gohan quickly got her medical attention, and then the battle was delayed as he waited for his father to return with senzu beans to heal his friend.

When all of that had been dealt with, Gohan went face Kibito, the large, red giant requesting Gohan transform into a Super Saiyan. Gohan was reluctant. His classmates had already recognized him, and if he transformed he believed he would no longer be able to show his face at school. But even Piccolo joined in with an encouraging nod, and Gohan felt he had little choice. Something big was going on, bigger than him, and so he did what Kibito asked, though he went a step further and transformed to Super Saiyan 2.

That was when he was attacked. Spopovich and his brother leapt into the fray holding Gohan prisoner as they drained him of his energy. It was a horrendous scene, one that his friends did nothing to stop. Videl tried to stop it, but Goku held her back and offered quiet support. Everyone was assuring the girl that Gohan would be fine, and then they left after the two energy thieves when they got what they needed.

After Gohan was recovered, he and Videl went with Kibito to go after the purple guy revealed to be Shin, the Supreme Kai of their universe, Gohan's father, Piccolo, Krillin, and Vegeta. No one really knew what they were getting involved with, not until Shin and Kibito informed everyone about the threat of Majin Buu.

They had to stop this wizard, Babidi, from resurrecting the deranged and evil creature.

Babidi was a weakling, but his magic was where the true danger lied. The Supreme Kai told them everything about how the wizard could turn a person, take control of them, if he sensed even a flicker of evil in their hearts. The group witnessed horrid atrocities, the wizard and other subordinates ending the lives of the two humans he had used to get the energy to awaken Buu. They were all cruel and cutthroat, no room for loyalty.

And they knew they were not alone.

The wizard knew from the beginning that Spopovich and his brother had lured seven fighters to their ship, and he and his Demon King subordinate, Dabura, could sense that three of the fighters – Gohan, Goku, and Vegeta – had enough energy to aid them in their terrible quest.

So, they lured the fighters into the ship, determined to absorb their energy each battle.

The first battle, after a game of janken, was between Babidi's henchman, Pui Pui, and Vegeta. Truth be told, Vegeta had a lot of anxious energy he needed to expel anyway. Besides, these fighters seemed to want to draw them in anyway, goading them by attacking their friends and eliminating Kibito.

Shin was dismayed when the three Saiyans flew headfirst into Babidi's trap, but he followed to make sure that Babidi's plan did not get fulfilled.

It didn't matter that the Supreme Kai was there. Vegeta had no intention of holding back, not intention of letting his opponent leave that ship alive. He was incredibly annoying, and it didn't sit well with Vegeta that this Pui Pui was so convinced that he could murder him.

At the beginning, Vegeta could tell that this fight was no more than a mere joke. Each strike, he managed to block. Every flurry of punches, the Saiyan prince was easily able to avoid, moving his head rapidly to dodge every blow. It was child's play, too easy despite the overly concerned warnings of the Supreme Kai. Did he really think a scrawny and week fighter like this was powerful enough to surpass a Saiyan? It was laughable!

When Pui Pui moved to kick Vegeta, the prince just grabbed his ankle, effectively stopping him. He delivered a powerful blown, sending Pui Pui flying. Vegeta slowly approached the supposed warrior, glaring down at him with an ever-prominent moue. Even when the fighter made an attempt to launch himself at Vegeta, the Saiyan was easily able to repel him, kicking him back with such force and precision.

Vegeta phased out of sight, in front of the Babidi's henchman. His menacing presence did little to deter Pui Pui, again attempting to hit the Saiyan only to be punched to the ground by another well-placed strike.

"What's wrong? Had enough?"

"No," Pui Pui rasped to the taunt. He attempted to return the favor of Vegeta's punch, only for the Saiyan to actually spring into the air, using Pui Pui's head as a launch for his eloquent jump.

The prince kicked Pui Pui back, starting to fight offensively as he landed a series of blows to the alien's chest and face as if he were nothing.

The surroundings began to change out of nowhere.

All of a sudden, Vegeta paused in his slow trek towards his opponent to find that they were on a different, desolate planet. Vegeta was completely shocked. He had not been off of Planet Earth for the longest time, and to be on another world entirely at the drop of a hat was so surreal. The last place he had been to like this unknown planet reminded him so much of that rock he had been on before the asteroid shower when he had turned into a Super Saiyan for the very first time.

Pui Pui's laugh cut through the prince's nostalgia. It seemed this place was Pui Pui's home planet, a place where he boasted winning many battles. Vegeta learned that the gravity was ten times more than that of Earth, something Pui Pui thought was a hindrance. If only he knew that Vegeta' home world had the exact same gravity increase as his. It still wouldn't have mattered, not when the prince trained for hours, days, and weeks at gravity levels reaching five-hundred times that of Earth. Ten was incredibly insignificant to him now. He didn't even feel it.

The attacks were easy to dodge just as they had been back on Earth, and Vegeta delivered another decisive and damning blood to Pui Pui's gut. The alien was as shocked as he was hurting. There was probably quite a bit of internal damage to him, not that Vegeta cared. After all, he had received much worse in his life, faced more powerful foes including Frieza and his band of fools.

At the thought of Frieza, Vegeta's heart clenched. No, now was not the time to think about his former master or the nightmares that had infiltrated Vegeta's mind. He needed to keep his mind clear, focus on the fight on hand, although, now that the memories returned to him, Vegeta couldn't help but feel his earlier mental fatigue. He needed to end this fight quickly before the rush of the fight wore off.

Vegeta continued to make quick work of Pui Pui, the prince light on his feet to keep himself active and get his blood pumping to keep himself awake. He remained cocky as usual, his expression not giving way to how truly exhausted he really was.

Chuckling, Vegeta approached his opponent. He was ready to end this pathetic excuse for a fight. He smirked as Pui Pui made one, last futile attempt to attack, taking his hands and placing them against the alien's chest. Vegeta fired a blast, one that disintegrated every last atom of Babidi's "great fighter."

When it was over, Vegeta scoffed. "I'm amazed that Babidi would send us such a weakling."

And then they were off to the next floor to see what other challenges Babidi had in store.

It was Goku's turn to fight, but it was taking a long time for Babidi to send the next fighter. It led to a conversation, one where Vegeta boldly declared that none of the fighters were as dangerous as the Supreme Kai was leading them to believe. After how easily he dealt with Pui Pui, Vegeta believed he could take on Dabura and even Majin Buu easily, that it wouldn't be worth his time to fight. Besides, why should he be bothered when even Gohan was more than enough for the so-called warriors? He had more pressing matters to worry about.

These cretins were no Frieza. Vegeta was certain about that. Therefore, he didn't deem them as a threat.

Finally, another monster showed up, one that Goku was able to easily do away with even in the darkness, accidentally leading to his opponent's death. Vegeta grit his teeth. Again, he felt that this was just a waste of time. This Babidi was testing the little patience he had.

The Saiyans were faced with Dabura soon after, and he should have fallen quickly. However, Gohan was out of practice, unable to keep up. Dabura was toying with him.

And then Vegeta had to open his big mouth.

Babidi knew he'd need someone, and these strange fighters from Earth were incredibly strong. With any of them on his side, Babidi knew his dream of awakening Majin Buu would come to fruition. Still, these fighters were on the Supreme Kai's side and were most likely pure souls like their incredibly pure energy. There was little chance that Babidi would be able to turn any of them to do his will.

When the wizard was contacted by Dabura mid-fight to return, he soon learned that his concern wasn't exactly accurate. There was a spark of darkness and aggravation alighting the fighter's, Vegeta's, soul. He was angry, impatient, and volatile. A deeper look showed Babidi the even darker truths that surrounded Vegeta's psyche.

He was cranky, sleepless, and edgy. His patience with Goku and his son seemed to be waning, even more so with Goku. Where all of these emotions didn't make him pure evil, there was a decreasing darkness that persisted from a past that Vegeta was desperately trying to bury but feared would re-emerge.

Fear. Rage. Darkness.

That was all Babidi really needed to strike.

Vegeta was going on and on, oblivious to the devious plot of the evil wizard. Irate over the fact that the battle could have already been over if he had been fighting, he scolded Gohan for how pitifully he handled his opponent. After defeating Cell, their strongest enemy by far, no one should have been able to outlast the teenager so easily. He had grown soft over the years, still training but only sporadically while he focused on school and girls. He was a disgrace, and Vegeta was ready to blow a hole through the ship and finally end this madness.

Both Gohan and Goku didn't have the stomach to end this evil, not like Vegeta did. He stop this madness just like he would single-handedly stop Frieza.

Goku stopped him. He always _fucking _stopped him.

"How dare you?" Vegeta rasped, his ire skyrocketing. After dealing with his rival's naiveté earlier, Vegeta was in no mood for him now. "You better let go of me, Kakarot."

"Come on," Goku replied calmly. "Let's put what happened behind us and move forward from here."

Yanking his arm away, Vegeta reluctantly agreed. Then, out of nowhere, something was amiss. He froze, his whole body shaking, before he grabbed his head. Someone was coming after him. Vegeta could _feel _something attacking him. His energy rose and he made attempts to stand his ground. A physical attack never came. It was all inside his mind.

"Vegeta, what's going on?" Goku called out, he and Gohan worried about the prince.

Vegeta's grip on his head tightened as he tried to shake off this horrible feeling. He managed to voice that something was attacking him, Goku telling him he didn't see anything. "Inside…" he growled out, walking forward and slowly starting to succumb to this mental assault. He barely registered Shin telling him to fight it and resist. He couldn't. There was no way he could.

Then, his mind started to play tricks on him. Vegeta was hearing voices. It wasn't just the assult, but Vegeta could have sworn her heard familiar voices.

"_Look at you," _the voice of his father boomed inside his head. _"Such a disgrace. You were supposed to be the strongest, the pride of our race, and you can't even handle a simple attack. This planet has made you soft."_

"Shut up…" Vegeta mustered, his hands tearing at his hair. "Enough!"

"_Oh, ho, ho," _effeminate laughter rang, chilling Vegeta to his core and startling him enough that it was making it harder to fight off whoever was attacking his mind. _"I think he's right. The little monkey prince has fallen from grace. When I return, you won't be able to stop me. I'll take away everything you hold dear."_

Vegeta was about to retort when another wave of pain assaulted him. He screamed out from the strain of fighting. His body was writhing in sheer effort to attempt to resist whatever was happening to him. He even had to go Super Saiyan just to take a stand, finally able to remove his hands from his head.

The Supreme Kai kept trying to offer support, taking it upon himself to tell Vegeta he wasn't who he was anymore, that the past was the past, and he needed to remain innocent and clear. That struck a chord with Vegeta, not because he didn't believe it, but because of his fight with his Saiyan rival.

"_We let you go. You changed."_

"How can you say that?" Vegeta shot back at the virtual stranger. "I'm not innocent."

The Saiyan was brought to his knees by Babidi's magic, unable to fight and resist. He was struggling to hold onto himself, and Gohan and Goku could only watch in horror while Vegeta continued to bellow.

"Don't let him do it, Vegeta!" Gohan's voice begged. "Don't let them use you! You're stronger than this!"

He was trying. Vegeta was desperately trying to claw his way free of it. Over the years, he had grown settled, enjoying the life he had with his two children and Bulma. His pride and desire to protect them demanded that he fight, but his mind was so troubled and weakened from the sleepless nights of torment and the hauntings of his former captor. He could feel himself losing out, but still he kept trying to hold onto that little ray of light he had acquired from living here with the family he never thought he wanted.

A zap of energy pushed Gohan back. Vegeta was starting to lose control. Even the teenager could see that. The energy was about to explode, the ground shaking. Everyone could feel it.

Goku cried out to his rival and friend, "Vegeta, no! Fight it, Vegeta."

"I'm…trying…" the Saiyan finally mustered out, his voice cracking as his mind continued to mess with him. He was still hearing voices, seeing his most recent nightmares on repeat, the most humiliating memories of his life striking him to beat him down even more. The images were hits to his pride, and Goku telling him to fight it was hardly helping. Damn himself and his mind for doing this to him, for the lack of sleep and the mental exhaustion that came with it making it next to impossible to stave off this demon wizard. He couldn't do it anymore.

Vegeta knew he had lost the fight.

"_I'm sorry…"_

One last glimpse of his family came to him before he was fully consumed by the darkness in his heart.

The energy surrounding the prince finally dissipated, and he dropped to the ground. Goku was at his side in an instant. "Vegeta," he called out, "we're here. It's okay. We're going to help you get back to normal." His rival didn't respond, still shaking and struggling against this against-will transformation.

Shin got in Goku's way, stopping him from going to make sure the other Saiyan was okay. The Supreme Kai knew it was too late.

Vegeta's evil, vicious chuckle started to fill the room, his eyes filled with the hatred and rage that had once filled his heart.

Babidi had him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or the characters**

**This was written for CoreyPeters on DeviantArt. I hope you all enjoy!**

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* * *

Vegeta's evil, vicious chuckle started to fill the room, his eyes filled with the hatred and rage that had once filled his heart.

Babidi had him.

Goku was completely baffled, his brow furrowed in concern. Vegeta had been screaming in agony seconds ago, and now he was laughing. He breathed out his name, his rival and friend not even bothering to answer him. It was Gohan who noticed the "M" on his forehead. When the Supreme Kai explained that Babidi had control of the Saiyan prince, Goku still couldn't believe it.

_This _was not his friend, not the one he had come to know the past ten years.

"Vegeta was the new recruit that Dabura was talking about."

Goku shook his head. He couldn't believe it. This couldn't be happening. "Are you saying that Vegeta's against us now?"

The Supreme Kai's answer was the one Goku didn't want to hear. "That's exactly what I'm saying."

Goku looked to Vegeta in horror; the prince still hadn't spoken a word. Still, he smirked as if he knew something Goku didn't. The Earth-raised Saiyan couldn't even guess what that was.

He didn't even have a chance as the environment around them changed again. Babidi was sending them somewhere else. Actually, he was going based off of the Saiyan prince's desires. Vegeta was fully aware, now, his eyes _wide open. _He had fought in agony against this power that flooded him clinging to the life he had forged for himself. That life was something the prince prized, and someone was threatening to take it away. Even in his haze, he had seen Frieza, the tyrant threatening his newfound peace. But his past tormentor wasn't there, not yet, and as long as they fought against him, Frieza would stand no chance. There was another who threatened to interfere, though, one who declared that he wouldn't lift a finger if Frieza returned provided he caused no harm.

_Kakarot _was the threat. He needed to be taught a lesson.

When Vegeta could no longer hold onto himself, his body embraced the power. The Saiyan prince had no desire to revert, but once the darkness found its way to his heart once again, it didn't seem to matter. Now, all he wanted was revenge, revenge on everyone: his father, Frieza, and the idiot standing before him.

Babidi's voice rang in his head and asked Vegeta where he wanted to go, where his abilities wouldn't be hindered and his fighting prowess highlight. Vegeta never considered this, but in that moment he had to ask himself this question. Where did he want to fight? There was only one place they could go, one place where Vegeta could make the point to Kakarot how truly foolish and naïve the Earth-raised Saiyan truly was.

Moments later, the group was back in the WMAT ring.

Their appearance caused mass confusion and intrigue to everyone in the stadium, including the wives of the two Saiyans who were startled by their appearance. They had missed the entire tournament which Chi Chi highlighted as she went on and on about their tardiness. Bulma gazed down at the ring and noticed her husband was Super Saiyan and just stood there. Something was going on. She could feel it, and it wasn't until Master Roshi confirmed that fear when he declared something was very wrong. It was a moment Bulma was thankful she had sent Yamcha away with the girls. Whatever was going on, it wasn't good…

"Excuse me, gentlemen," the announcer hesitated. "The championship match has already been concluded. You all look very strong, but there's always next year!"

Vegeta was unperturbed and coolly announced, "We're just here for a little exhibition match."

After he declared this, the announcer noticed Goku and began to approach him. Goku sensed the shift in Vegeta's energy before the man walked by the prince. The warning came too late, and the blonde man and even the champion, Hercule, were pushed back by the incredible power.

The prince smirked viciously, pleased with himself for causing chaos. He looked around the stadium and started to think of a way to put his plan into motion and effectively teach Kakarot the price of his naiveté and hubris.

"_Vegeta, this is your new master, Babidi, speaking. It's time for you to have a little fun. You can start by killing your friends."_

Vegeta sneered when he heard the foreign voice in his head. He may have been dominated, but the second the magic took hold of him, his mind fed off of it and began repairing itself. Energy and clarity returned to the prince, and he was able to hear his inner thoughts more clearly. Babidi made the mistake of choosing Vegeta. The prince was his own agent. His one goal was to deal with his rival. Nothing else mattered.

"I won't," he rejected. My goal is to fight Kakarot and teach him a lesson. The…the others are nothing."

Goku visibly relaxed when he heard this. For a moment, the third-class had been worried that Vegeta had completely succumbed to Babidi's control, but it seemed like the prince still fought for himself. _That's the Vegeta I know. Still…_

"Vegeta, how could you…?" Goku didn't even know what he was asking. It wasn't like his friend had allowed this to happen, but if he had come to his senses this much, he could push Babidi completely away, right? He didn't have to go along with it, and yet he was. _Why?_

The prince turned to face his rival, anger in his eyes. He was still powered up, and he was ready to fight. Vegeta pointed his gloved finger in Goku's face. "It's time, Kakarot," he declared.

_Time for what? _his rival thought, eyes wide and bewildered.

As if he knew what Goku was thinking, Vegeta smirked as he mentally answered, _Time for you to wake up!_

He stopped pointing to outstretch his palm. Energy fired from the palm of his hand into the stadium. The prince waited a moment and allowed the weight of his actions to reach Goku. It worked. Goku knew exactly what the other Saiyan was about to do.

"Vegeta, no!"

The energy pushed Goku back, but the Saiyan wasn't the intended target. Vegeta knew Goku would withstand the blast. It was once Goku reached the end of the ring that the attack hit. Many people in the stadium were victim to that blast, not a lot – not to the prince anyway – but enough to anger the bleeding heart that was Goku. It wasn't even just the section of the stadium, but buildings just beyond the WMAT, too.

Once again, Goku gazed upon the wreckage, horrified and disgusted. How could Vegeta _do _this?

"Still think it was a good idea to let me go?"

Those words – those cold, cruel words – hit Goku like a ton of bricks. _That _was what this was about, why Vegeta had allowed himself to give in even just a little bit? He _killed _all those innocents just to _prove a point?_

He went too far!

"Shame on you," Goku scolded, his fists clenched. "The Vegeta I know would have never have done this."

Vegeta's cocky, evil grin appeared once again. The prince actually felt amusement that his deed had actually struck the proper chord. _The Vegeta he knows…_ That was the point, wasn't it? That the Earth-raised warrior had no idea the hell that existed out there. If _this _upset his rival so much, then Frieza's return would be multitudes worse! In a way, Vegeta had done the other Saiyan a favor by opening his eyes.

"I guess you don't know me very well," Vegeta announced, his words jarring. Goku froze, his form tense. "I've slaughtered countless civilizations. This is nothing. They were nothing."

"This isn't the time, Vegeta," Goku interjected. He finally understood the prince's lesson, and he got it loud and clear. Still, the Earth was in danger of being destroyed by the hands of the creature who now had some control over his friend. If Vegeta wanted to deal with their differences later, Goku would oblige. Right here, right now, Goku knew it was the worst time.

"You'll fight with me, Kakarot, unless you want more bodies to pile up on your conscience."

That was the last straw. It was the nerve Vegeta had to hit for Goku to take this more seriously. At the same time, now that he knew that this front was in regards to their earlier dispute, he was…strangely calmer. "Vegeta…certainly you didn't." The prince merely sniggered again. Well, if this was how he was going to play it – taking jabs at Goku – then the third-class warrior would do the same. "How sad. I didn't think you were _weak _enough to be controlled."

"Dad, don't…" Gohan warned, not oblivious to the building tension.

"Answer me! Vegeta, do you let yourself be a slave?"

Slavery…Vegeta was no stranger to that. In fact, he lived the majority of his life in forced servitude to the bastard Kakarot was so flippant about earlier. Now, his rival challenged him, attempted to meet his own, disturbing game with his own. Too bad for Kakarot that his taunts were the wrong answer.

Vegeta fired another blast at the crowd, incinerating more innocent bystanders.

"Tell me. Is it slavery when you get what you want?"

Goku barely registered the question, too appalled by his friend's actions. He shook with rage and hurt. The prince looked so proud of himself; he didn't care about Goku's fury or the lives he just took. It was like the man Goku came to look up to and cherished had regressed back to the enemy he was before, but at the same time Goku knew that deep down inside that same friend still lived. There was no telling what kind of internal battle was occurring deep within, but even Goku could see that this entire conflict stemmed from Vegeta's earlier frustration with him. He needed to make this right.

He needed to stop Vegeta while freeing Vegeta all at the same time, but they couldn't do this here.

Finally, Goku powered up, ready to meet Vegeta head on. The Supreme Kai attempted to intervene. Shin revealed that if Goku fought, he and Vegeta would play right into Babidi's hands. Every injury Vegeta caused would go to fueling Majin Buu's resurrection. Gone was the desire to be cautious, though. Goku didn't care what it meant. He needed to get through to Vegeta, fast!

"Who are you people?" Shin cried. "Don't you see _the universe_ matters more than your meaningless squabble?"

Vegeta growled, incensed by Shin's ignorant words. "Meaningless, huh? What do you know of meaningless? Spend most of your life ruled by another, watch your race dwindle to a handful, and then tell me what has more meaning than your own strength."

His speech didn't end there. "I indeed have the blood of a Saiyan prince. He is nothing but a joke, yet I've had to watch him surpass me in strength, my destiny thrown to the wayside. He's even saved my life as if I were a helpless child. He has stolen my honor, and his debts…Must. Be. Paid." _Especially if he were to let that bastard walk again…_

And so, with all of that anguish out in the open, Goku had his chance. In that moment, he made a demand of Babidi. He told the wizard to send him and Vegeta to a place devoid of any people. In return, he'd fight Vegeta without holding back. To Shin's dismay, Babidi agreed, and Goku and Vegeta disappeared from the stadium.

Bulma had been watching with the others up high in the stadium. Tears filled her eyes at the sight. "Vegeta, no…how could he?" Pain paralyzed her; the woman's mind became hazy as her grip tightened on the bar. "No, this is…too awful. There must be some mistake."

It was then that she fainted in Chi Chi's arms, but her mind was still processing what she had just witnessed. Vegeta had been an evil son of a bitch at one time. She remembered even being terrified of him. After they all arrived on Earth after they escaped Planet Namek, Vegeta had seemed dazed, confused, and lost. Because of this – not to mention the fact that he helped them find a way to bring back their friends – Bulma had been drawn to him, and their unlikely…relationship…began.

Maybe not then, but pretty soon after. The two continued to cross paths, and somehow they found their way to each other. It was a dubious affair, one that wasn't meant to last, and yet they beat the odds and became an actual couple. Sure, it was after Trunks was already in the picture, but it was more than Bulma could have dared to dream. Their relationship was not perfect by any means, and there was still plenty that Vegeta kept to himself that Bulma would never understand. It didn't matter, though, because Bulma knew Vegeta's heart. She had watched him grow, especially in how he interacted with their children. Fatherhood became second nature to the Saiyan. He was an attentive lover to boot.

_So, how could this happen? _her internal voice whispered.

This was the man she loved, the man she fathered children with. How could he betray their family like this? How could he betray her heart? How could he betray _himself?_

"Mama!"

Little Bulla's voice snapped Bulma out of her daze; the mother lightly smacked her cheek to wake herself up. Her little lookalike appeared so frightened and scared. Bulma's mind was alerted; she wondered how much of Vegeta's attack their princess had seen.

"What happened?"

Those two words, that simple question, made Bulma feel so much relief. Honestly, she had prayed her children hadn't witnessed what their father had done. The woman had no idea what was going on with her husband, but she had no doubt that he and Goku would figure it out. So, Bulma forced down her emotions and put on a forced happy face.

"Nothing to worry about, sweetie," she assured, her voice filled with conviction she did not possess. Bulma turned to Chi Chi, the raven-haired mother full of worry, and asked, "Would you look after the girls for a while? There's something I need to take care of."

And by "something" she meant the Dragon Balls, and by "take care of" she meant finding them and righting this wrong.

* * *

Goku couldn't believe it; he just could believe it. The whole day had been disheartening between Vegeta reverting back to old habits and Gohan going after Babidi and Dabura with the Supreme Kai. Now, he was faced with an awful challenge, and it was nothing like his fight with the Vegeta.

After everything that had happened between Goku and the Saiyan prince over the years, despite the few moments of conflict, Vegeta had become a constant in the Earth-raised Saiyan's life. Ever since Cell's defeat, the two of them had seemed to make peace with one another. In the prince, Goku found a friend, someone who could relate to the incessant impulses to fight and train that no one else could understand. Their disagreement that day had been the worst of it after so long. What happened that day didn't change what Goku believed.

Goku knew Vegeta was a good guy, at least to the Earth-raised Saiyan, especially after he fought against Babidi's desires to kill the Supreme Kai. As much as Vegeta had tried to prove a point, he really hadn't wanted the universe in danger. He stole back his mind, refused to kill the Kai, booted Babidi out, and he and Goku resolved their issues together before the worst came. Their match had still resurrected Buu, and that led to the hell they all faced now.

Not only had Buu been unleashed, but both his friend and son, both Vegeta and Gohan, were dead.

Neither were supposed to die, but the release of Buu led to it. Gohan had died in battle, and Vegeta had felt responsible. The prince knew Buu couldn't be allowed to rampage. Goku had planned to fight the monster alongside his friend now that they had come to an agreement and Vegeta's mind was clear. Vegeta agreed, but it was a trick. He knocked Goku out and went to fight Buu alone, but not to win…

Vegeta sacrificed himself to protect their families. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough.

Goku didn't want to be the one to tell everyone, but there was no other way around it. They had to know, needed to hear about the prince's sacrifice, and Chi Chi needed to know about their son. At first, Goku couldn't find the words. It felt like he had been sucker-punched, and really he had been by Vegeta. There was no way of knowing that Vegeta would take off like he did and leave the younger Saiyan behind. Goku cringed, his fists clenched, as he thought of what Vegeta must have endured alone before his sacrifice.

"What I have to tell you isn't easy for me to say right now," he began, unable to meet neither Chi Chi's nor Bulma's eyes, "but…Goten and Trunks are going to be all right. Gohan and Vegeta are dead. Majin Buu destroyed them."

Everyone was shocked, but Chi Chi, Bulma, and even Videl all took the new the hardest. Videl was in disbelief and Chi Chi fainted. Bulma had already known; her heart sensed the loss earlier. To hear it, though, broke her, and she howled out her sorrow and grief. She sobbed and fell only to be caught by Yamcha.

No one had realized, but Trunks and Goten, who Vegeta knocked out, were awake. Bulla and Marron were with them when they came to see the grownups and listen to what they were saying. Piccolo was the one to notice them after he heard their footsteps.

Trunks shook in both shock and rage; the memories from earlier returned to his mind. There was no way Goku was speaking the truth. The boy felt like he had just been with his father. He had been knocked out, he knew. Realization dawned on the child, and his body stopped shaking. His father was the one who knocked him out. The proud Saiyan prince knew he was going to die.

Trunks deflated and tear flowed freely. "No, that can't be," he tried to deny. "That can never happen to my dad! No way! No!"

"You're lying," Bulla protested, her voice high and tight as she too began to cry. "Daddy is the strongest and bestest ever. He…he's not gone!"

Goten, too, could not take the news. "My brother's not dead," he cried.

The kids were an inconsolable mess, but they didn't have much time to allow them to grieve. With Vegeta and Gohan out of commission, Goku and the kids were Earth's only line of defense. An idea came to the Saiyan warrior. For a while, Goku had been visiting King Kai's planet for training occasionally. He asked the deity about all sorts of different techniques. One time, King Kai told him about a really amazing technique – the fusion technique.

With both Vegeta and Gohan gone, Goku would not be able to fuse with anyone. It worked better if the other fighter was of similar genetics and energy. The kids, though – Trunks and Goten – they would be able to do it. According to King Kai, their power would grow immensely.

Goku started to discuss training the boys to use the fusion technique, and he went with the tough love approach because he knew Babidi could find the Lookout at any time. No one protested given the dire circumstances they found themselves in. Still, the loss of loved ones was not something to easily sweep under the rug.

Trunks just couldn't handle in anymore and ran off; he ignored the calls of his mother and Goku. He went to sit on the edge of the Lookout and thought back on what happened. The little boy had been such an idiot. The whole day, he had looked forward to the thrill of fighting like any good Saiyan would, but he didn't take it seriously, and the child wasn't prepared for such a grave situation to arise. Before he and Goten arrived to the scene, they had been goofing around and thought that fighting the monster and wizard would be exciting.

It was anything but exciting. The two children were terrified when they witnessed the giant, pink creature devour another fighter. Majin Buu was about to eat the Supreme Kai too, but then Trunks's father had shown up. Trunks felt so much relief. Vegeta pounded into Buu like he was nothing, but the resilient, pink blob just let it happen. When Buu decided he wanted to fight, he proved that he allowed the Saiyan prince to toy with him. Buu was strong, _really strong._ The monster may not have appeared to be much, but Vegeta quickly realized that he was outmatched.

Trunks still believed his father could win. He went to Vegeta and tried to get his father to let him fight alongside him.

He could remember it so clearly, his final moments with his father.

_Vegeta powered up after Buu arose from the rubble. The prince was prepared to annihilate the monster with a blast of ki. A beam shot through Buu, and it seemed like victory would belong to Vegeta. He blew a hole clean through the blob. The battle was over and, along with the boys, Piccolo cheered._

_Only the battle wasn't over._

_Buu stood back up to face Vegeta, the hole in his middle instantly repaired. Now, Buu was ready to fight. Power formed around Buu, a massive energy that no one expected. Still, Vegeta stood firm and fearless as he stared the monster down. Despite Krillin's suggestion that they leave, Trunks could not bring himself to abandon his father._

_When Majin Buu's energy exploded, everyone was forced to take cover. Vegeta was pushed back by the massive attack, and after the dust cleared and settled everyone could see that he was injured. Despite that, he went to take another stand against Buu._

_Trunks knew his father was in trouble. He got closer despite the growing danger. No matter the obvious odds, Trunks still believed his father could win, even said so and looked to Piccolo for confirmation. The Namekian said nothing, did not instantly agree. This horrified the child who always believed his father was the strongest in the universe._

_Buu surprised everyone when he tore a piece of his body off of himself, but it was worse when he used his stretchy skin to trap Vegeta. It left the Saiyan immobile and at Buu's mercy. The blob wasted no time in kicking Vegeta around and crushing him. Trunks was so angered by the deplorable and horrendous actions of Buu, not to mention the fact that he had to watch as his strong and proud father was brutalized._

_Piccolo warned him not to get involved, but seeing his father being tortured right in front of him set Trunks off. Without effort, he transformed into Super Saiyan and charged headfirst into battle. Goten followed closely behind him. Together, the boys got the drop on Buu and managed to free Vegeta, too. Vegeta was unconscious; Trunks tried to shake him awake. The boy almost thought he had lost his father right then and there, but then Vegeta finally came to, which was an immense relief to the young, half-Saiyans._

"_Trunks…my son…" Vegeta called out before he sat upright. The momentary peace was short-lived when the older prince looked around, unnerved. "Wait, where is Majin Buu?"_

_Buu was in a pile of rubble, and he returned to the group of Super Saiyans swiftly while Piccolo handled Babidi. The Namekian met eyes with the injured, Saiyan warrior, and the two came to a silent understanding._

"_Trunks…listen," Vegeta spoke evenly. "You need to take good care of your mother and sister."_

_Trunks looked to his father alarmed. What did he mean by that? "Take care of mom and Bulla? But, you can do that too, right?" Vegeta smiled, but he did not answer. Trunks's tone became a bit more urgent. "You can take care of them, too, can't you, dad? Dad?"_

_There was still no response from his father, and now Trunks became worried. "Why would you say that? Dad? Why do you want me to take care of mom and Bulla? Are you going somewhere?"_

_He was, but Trunks had no idea where at the time. There was no way of knowing that his father intended to die in battle. "I want you two to leave and get far away from here," Vegeta ordered. "As for Buu, I'll fight him alone."_

"_Don't do that," Goten protested._

_Trunks agreed with his best friend. "We'll fight with you. You don't want to get killed, do you? You've got to let us help you, dad."_

_The boy would never know how much pride Vegeta felt for him in that moment, but even so, the older prince could not have either child fight with him. This was his mess he needed to clean up. At least Vegeta knew his family would be safe in the end._

"_We're with you," Trunks chimed._

"_Stop it," Vegeta hissed. "It's too dangerous for you two. I will finish this by myself."_

_The two children continued to offer up different strategies and plead their case to help, but Vegeta was unyielding in his decision._

"_Trunks," Vegeta said the boy's name softly. "You are my only son, and yet I haven't truly held you since you were a baby, have I?" He looked down to his bewildered son and approached him with an outstretched arm. "Come here, son."_

_Trunks nearly retreated, but he was stopped by Vegeta. "Dad, what's wrong?" Vegeta didn't answer as he pulled the boy closer. "This is embarrassing," Trunks complained, though he wore a smile. He didn't know what made his dad act this way, but it was strangely satisfying to receive a hug from the usually reserved prince. "Dad, come on, cut it out…"_

_Vegeta held Trunks for a while, remained silent as both sadness and resolve filled his eyes. He knew what he had to do. He knew that Trunks would most likely never forgive him._

"_Trunks, there's something you must know. You've made me proud, my son."_

_The words struck Trunks to his very core. His father never said anything like that before, and Trunks gasped and gaped up at him. His father's face was the last thing he saw._

_And then everything went dark._

Trunks's eyes clenched shut as he thought back on what had happened. His father was gone, had actually known he was walking into his death, and he forced Trunks out of commission. _Why? _Trunks thought as he clenched his fists and willed the tears away. _Why didn't he just let me help him?_

While Trunks was lost in thought, Bulla joined him and sat by his side; both children's legs dangled off the edge, and their bodies were tense. Trunks sensed his sister immediately; his eyes shot open, but he did not even spare her a glance. "Hey, Bulla," Trunks greeted, the tone of his voice sounded desolate.

Bulla didn't respond at first. Instead, she gave her older brother a hug. The princess did not notice her brother tense when her arms wrapped around his shoulder; Trunks's mind was focused on memories of his father mere hours ago. "Are…" Bulla began to ask. "Are you okay?"

Trunks deflated and came back to attention. He returned his sister's hug and squeezed her tightly. "No, Bulla," he whispered, but he knew she already knew that. The girl shook and cried on her brother's shoulder. Neither of them were okay.

"_You need to take good care of your mother and sister." _The words fired off in his mind again. With Bulla in his arms, he realized he needed to shake off what he was feeling. There was no doubt in Trunks's mind that his sister was scared. She had never been without their father. Trunks, at least, remembered a short time where his father would wander off for training to avoid Capsule Corp. altogether. This was the first time Vegeta wasn't present in his daughter's life, and Trunks needed to be strong for her.

"It's going to be okay, though," Trunks assured the girl after he gently pushed her off of him by the shoulders. "Goten and I are going to fight that monster. We'll avenge Dad."

Bulla's tear-filled eyes met the determined gaze of her brother. She blinked away her tears, and her expression soon matched his. "I want to fight, too," she determined. After all, they were Saiyans, and Bulla wanted to help stop the creature that hurt her Papa.

Her declaration stunned her brother, and Trunks quickly shook his head. "Bulla, you can't," he told her. "You're too little for that. Besides, Dad told me to protect you. I can't let you fight."

_Let me? _Bulla mentally hissed. Who did Trunks think he was? Disregarding the part where her brother had said their father wanted her safe, she snapped back at the boy, "I'm not weak!"

Then, she stood up and sped off to talk to the adults. She ignored Trunks's cries of "Bulla, wait!" No, the princess desperately needed to talk to Goku. She was certain he would listen to her and let her fight.

He just had to…

* * *

Bulma was in the middle of scolding Goku for how he delivered the news. She understood why, but there had to be a better way to handle it after the children overheard the conversation, a more tactful approach. Though the kids were half-Saiyan, they were half human too. Shoving their emotions aside would be a challenge.

Bulla's approach interrupted the heated discussion. Her blue eyes were filled with determination and resolve. Goku and Bulma both regarded the girl with curious stares. When she told them, "I wanna fight too," Bulma's expression fell. Fear filled the mother's eyes.

Goku noticed the look in his best friend's eyes. Because of it, he was also apprehensive. Where he was sure Bulla was strong, she was still far too young. The child lacked battle experience, and Goku's reluctance over allowing her to fight against Babidi and Buu reflected in his gaze.

"I'm not weak," Bulla stated firmly; she used that same defense on Trunks. Unfortunately for the child, it seemed no one understood. They continued to stare at her with pity; they neither accepted nor denied her offer.

Bulla was beyond frustrated that no one would listen to her. Her Papa was gone, and the monster responsible was still out there. If Trunks and Goten could fight, why couldn't she? She was a Saiyan, too! Even though she was little, Bulla was strong and had a big fighter's spirit like her father. Why, now that the Saiyan prince was gone, was everyone trying to stifle her? She was not a baby bird that needed protecting.

Annoyed by the answers of all the adults, Bulla stormed off to the other side of the Lookout. Bulma tried to stop her daughter, but Goku held her back. He watched Bulla leave, his brow furrowed in concern. His heart ached for her. He knew what it must be like for her in that moment, scared, alone, but determined. What helped ease him was that Bulla certainly had her father's willpower within her, and if it wasn't for Bulma's desire to keep her little girl off the front line then Goku would have considered it.

Still, his best friend just lost her husband. She barely wanted Trunks to train to fight the _thing _that killed him. He wouldn't put any more stress on the woman today than she could handle.

Goten also watched the princess depart. She sat down at the edge all the way on the other side of the large circle. The boy frowned and decided to go over to her. When he sat beside Bulla, Goten noticed her flinch. The princess relaxed pretty quickly, her shoulders hunched. She seemed…defeated.

The loss of his brother and her father was too much for all of them to handle. If anyone understood, it was Goten. He spent a lot of time with Gohan over the years, and even Vegeta too. Bulla was exceptionally close with her father, and it probably hit her harder than the rest that he was gone. They were just kids, and Bulla was the youngest of them all. It was probably why his dad and the other adults wanted to keep her from training to fight the evil monster. If Goten was being honest, he was both excited and terrified over the prospect for himself. After he saw what Buu did, Goten didn't think he'd ever be able to get passed what the thing did.

Goten didn't know what to do for her, but he knew what always made him feel better. Tentatively, he wrapped his arm around the girl's shoulder. When Bulla didn't pull away, he engulfed her in a hug. The younger child buried herself against her fellow half-Saiyan and shook. The boy froze. There was no doubt in his mind that Bulla was crying. This thought practically paralyzed Goten. He _hated _when Bulla cried, but he couldn't really blame her. He tightened his grip and allowed his friend to get all of her sadness out while trying to rein in his own spinning and confusing emotions and grief.

"Why can't I fight?" Bulla asked aloud, her voice shaky as she sobbed. "At the tournament and even now, they let you and Trunks fight. Why can't I fight too?"

Goten frowned. He heard about the family's argument from Trunks. Vegeta had no issue with Bulla fighting, but Bulma wasn't thrilled with the idea, at least not yet. Still, despite her age, Bulla was a Saiyan, and she was proud. Really, she would have done a much better job than the children he and Trunks were forced to fight in the lineup.

The little boy understood his father's logic, but it pained Bulla so much to be left out of this fight. Goten couldn't blame her. The young girl had just lost her father, the one person she was the closest to. It was all just awful. Bulla must have felt so helpless.

The blue-haired Saiyan continued her tantrum, her tears of anguish and frustration rolled down her cheeks. Goten felt his heart ache. "I'm…" he spoke up, though he had no idea what to say. "I'm sorry about your dad."

Bulla stopped bawling and gasped. Slowly, she met Goten's gaze; the older half-Saiyan appeared flustered and out of his element. The girl's expression relaxed, but tears stilled pricked the corner of her eyes. "I'm…sorry about Gohan," she spoke sincerely. Goten's head dropped, but he gave a weak nod. "I didn't mean to yell, but I just don't want to sit this one out…"

"I know," Goten replied, and then a thought occurred to him. He knew that even if Bulla was an immensely headstrong Saiyan, she would never be able to convince the adults to let her fight with them. Still, there was a way to encourage his friend without making this worse for her. "But someone needs to keep our families protected while me and Trunks are training." Bulla's eyes widened almost comically like she didn't understand what Goten was getting at. The boy smiled. "Can I trust you to do that?"

Bulla's brows furrowed in confusion and skepticism. Was this a trick? "I want to help, too…" she protested still. "Against that Buu monster."

"Dad said the fusion technique is for two people, right?" Goten reminded her. "That means it can only be two of us, anyway, and both people have to be around the same strength."

Bulla took that the wrong way. "I'm not weak!" she argued. "I can help! I'm a Saiyan too!"

"I know that," Goten assuaged. "That's why we need you to keep an eye on the others." At that, Goten's normally jovial expression grew serious. "You're the only one who can…"

It was left unsaid that they – Bulla, Goten, Trunks, and Goku – were the last line of defense should Buu show up and attack.

Bulla nodded to Goten, accepted, finally, that she needed to be left behind this time, if only to keep their remaining loved ones safe from harm should the need arise. With that resolution, the two children returned to the group. Goten and Trunks were determined to learn the training as quickly as possible and left with Goku and Piccolo into the void in the Room of Spirit and Time. The princess remained on the Lookout and watched her brother and Goten retreat. She was equally determined to protect their loved ones if she had to.

_Good luck, Goten, _she mentally wished. Her gaze fell to the marble floor as she thought of her brother. She sincerely added, _And good luck to you, too, Trunks…_


End file.
